The Symphony

Hi Doug, finally i get to know another majestic masterpiece that cannot miss in anyone's symphony collection - Anton Bruckners' Symphony No.8, both it's grandeur and it's superbly strengthy style remind me Beethovens' and also Brahms', even though i felt this symphony's movements flowing in kind of a slower pace. But the more i listen to this Bruckner's Symphony the more i enjoy it.
I'd like to make here a special mention also to Antonin Dvorak's Symphony No.9, 'From the New World', I enjoyed it and maybe, as happened to me, many people have already listened at least once it's last movement without knowing which is that and who composed it.

presdoug wrote: Slartibartfast wrote: This thread passed me by.  Say Doug are looking for a way to write your symphony?  nudge nudge BTW, on a serious note, if you want to try something really modern, Joe Jackson's Symphony No. 1 is pretty good.  I dig your Triumvirat reference, Brian, I did not know Joe Jackson wrote a symphony.

Joe is best known for his pop music but occasionally he delves into prog territory.

^Yeah, Muti and Boulez I would say both typify the newer ways of conducting. Interesting you mention Markevitch, he is an interesting figure, sort of transitional between old school and new school. His early fifties recording of the Fantastique on DG with the Berlin Phil. is quite good.

^wonderful to hear that Ric, the Fantastique is truly fantastic! Wait till you hear it with Beecham or Monteux,if you can locate those recordings.

^He made an interesting Bruckner 4th.

The T wrote: Bruckner is a difficult composer to bring to live. In the wrong hands, his gigantic, cathedralesque structures can get hard to understand and the wrong pace can kill them. But in the hand of specialists (and I think Bruckner is a specialist-conductor composer) he's one of the best, and in my view, second symphonist ever only behind Ludwig.

I agree. I love so much Bruckner's "albums", even more than Beethoven's. My fav is Symphony No. 0; I own a LP released in 1979 on Deutsche Grammaphon, conducted by Daniel Barenboim; I bought that vynil LP in early 80s but I can't find now that version on YouTube. Doesn't metter because this one is awesome version too. Aside of No.0, I have all of his "albums" released on Μелодия (Melodya).

           
edit: my second fav of Bruckner's amazing symphonies is his third symphony.

Edited by Svetonio - February 22 2014 at 07:47

The symphony is one of my favorite musical forms in classical music.

presdoug wrote: ^wonderful to hear that Ric, the Fantastique is truly fantastic! Wait till you hear it with Beecham or Monteux,if you can locate those recordings.

I might have to agree about symphonies being the pinnacle in many ways. Mozart and Beethoven are the greatest by far, for me. Bruckner 8 is amazing (thanks for this), but most romantic symphonies I've heard strike me as bloated and inadequate, which kills me seeing as it's the biggest period for symphonies. Perhaps it's too much for most composers to handle. I like Brahms and Dvorak though, and Vaughan Williams although I'm not sure I've heard symphonies from him. I wish I liked Schubert more than I do. I do enjoy Haydn.

For a guy who can't stand Mahler, and given the above, could anyone recommend symphonies?


Edited by King Crimson776 - March 05 2014 at 19:35

Hi Doug,

 

It was always an intense and deep delight listening to many of the Beethoven's sentimental compositions. And for a particular strong temper present in quite a few of them (as expected for his explosive temperament), i considered them as being, let's say, somewhat like a "heavy metal" of the classical music, until i get to know some of the Bruckner's Symphonies - i take my hat off to him, even having listened only to the 3, 4 and 8, enjoying particularly his deployment of every single integral element of the orchestra to produce these majestic symphonies, such is the grandeur of these compositions.

 

It has been a very especial musical journey indeed, by the way the Classical Music listening journey which i am just begining again has always been especially of such a deeply delightful experience that i hardly could find in prog or other genre, and it will always be of timeless spirit.

 

As a next step just now i'm looking forward to listen to the Bruckner's Fifth Symphony (Karajan - Berliner Philharmoniker, 1976), but i'll keep on looking for a recording conducted by Knappertsbusch, as you suggested.